In what way does science
affect us all? The weekly magazine programme Archimède
tries to provide some clear answers to this vast question.
Each programme covers five or six subjects, approached
in a variety of ways, in an attempt to make viewers
more aware of scientific research. It is produced by
Ex Nihilo for Arte France and ZDF. For enthusiasts,
Arte has also just launched a series devoted specifically
to the world of trees (Sylva) and a series
of documentaries on archaeology (L’aventure
humaine).http://www.arte-tv.com/emission/
emission.jsp?node=-65

C’est
pas sorcier (France 3 – France)

A rare event on television:
a science and discovery programme aimed at young people
in their early teens. On board their travelling laboratory,
Frédéric Courant, Jamy Gourmaud and Sabine
Quindou take the youngsters off to strange and often
spectacular locations, providing clear, fun and practical
explanations on all kinds of subjects - from aluminium
to amphibians, including the water cycle. C'est
pas sorcier attracts a large audience, is also
broadcast in Belgium and is available on video.http://www.france3.fr/semiStatic/42-223-NIL-1651.html

Delta
(Hungary)

Launched in 1964, Delta
is the science magazine programme on Hungarian public
television. In the space of 25 minutes it presents a
series of news reports and short documentaries on the
latest developments in the world of science and technology.
Its clear language and attractive presentation enable
it to reach a wide audience.http://www.mtv.hu/

E
=M6 (M6 – France)

Over the past ten years,
the E=M6 team has managed to attract a weekly
audience of 4 million viewers to this popular weekly
science programme which goes out at peak viewing time
on this private channel. The magazine programme aims
to increase understanding of nature, the world and technologies
around us. Science is often explained through the prism
of daily life, with experts from various disciplines
(doctors, sociologists, nutritionists) analysing the
day-to-day life of a French family, for example. Special
programmes also try to shed light on an increasingly
complex environment, thanks to the answers provided
by scientists and technicians.http://www.em6.fr/

Encyclopedia
(France)

A window on every field
of knowledge … understanding the world, retracing
the history of thought, investigating the great scientific
enigmas. Curiosity is the watchword for the wealth of
eclectic documentaries broadcast by this channel. Its
flagship programmes are Les exploits de la recherche,
which presents the past, present and future of science
and technology, La science en questions, which
focuses on a topical science subject, and Côté
science, an educational programme on the major science
subjects of our times. http://www.encyclopedia.fr/

Equinox
(Channel 4 – United Kingdom)

This is the principal
science slot of the British public service channel which
devotes 5% (£20 million) of its annual budget
to programmes on science and education. These cover
topics such as health (Body Story), space (Destination
Mars, Planet Storm), robotics and archaeology (Lost
Worlds). As Science and Education co-ordinator
Sara Ramsden explains, Channel 4 is interested in 'any
good programme, with a serious content and entertaining
presentation, which is able to render science comprehensible,
pertinent and fascinating for the general public'.http://www.channel4.com/science/index.html

Gândit
in Romania (TVR2 - Romania)

This magazine programme,
which goes out at noon on Saturdays, aims to inform
the general public about home-grown Romanian innovations.
Among other things, it promotes discoveries and inventions
which have won international prizes, with a view to
helping them find practical applications. For 25 minutes
researchers and innovators present the conception and
development of their projects. This recently launched
programme already attracts about 5% of the audience.http://www.tvr.ro/

Horizon
(BBC 2 – United Kingdom)

The BBC's flagship science
programme - which has run for almost 40 years now -
Horizon tackles a variety of subjects (medicine,
the environment, new technologies, archaeology, etc.)
and is aimed at a mass audience. The programme combines
an original form of narration with a solid scientific
basis and concentrates in particular on the social implications
of scientific progress. Horizon goes out at
nine in the evening and regularly attracts 12% of the
audience or over 3 million viewers.http://www.bbc.co.uk/science/horizon/

Jota
(Teleac/Not – The Netherlands)

A weekly 10-minute magazine
programme aimed at the general public, Jota
can be seen on the Dutch educational channel Teleac/Not.
It covers a range of subjects with its resolutely educational
approach, giving scientists the chance to speak for
themselves, and presenting and analysing often little-known
research subjects.http://www.teleacnot.nl/sites/jota-tv/index.html

This science programme
goes out daily at 6.30 in the evening. It is co-produced
by German (ZDF), Austrian (ORF) and Swiss (SRG) public
television and covers a wide range of subjects, often
topical and always handled skilfully. It is broadcast
by the 3Sat satellite channel and can also be viewed
on German regional channels at various times.http://www.3sat.de/nano.html

Odyssée
(France)

Created by TF1 and broadcast
by TPS satellite, Odyssée features programmes
for the initiated and uninitiated alike, seeking to
satisfy the most diverse appetites for knowledge and
to offer something for all tastes and interests. The
fare includes documentaries on history, science, culture
and contemporary life. Odyssée tries to entertain
and inform, its major reports giving viewers the chance
to see the world in a new light.http://www.odyssee.com/

Quarks
& Co (WDR – Germany)

The bi-monthly Quarks
& Co concentrates on natural sciences, approached
from different angles but always with a concern for
simplicity and the knack of finding the most fascinating
aspects of a topical theme. It offers a mix of field
reports and studio sequences and tries to explain science
at work in our everyday lives as well as considering
some of the enigmas of the universe. 'Science as entertainment'
is the motto of its presenter and producer Ranga Yogeshwar
– an astrophysicist and researcher at CERN –
who likes to feature experiments, graphs and computer
animations. His overriding aim is to make complex phenomena
understandable to the widest possible audience.http://www.quarks.de/dyn/2095.phtml

Reportrarna
(SVT – Sweden)

A bi-monthly magazine
programme comprising scientific reports of interest
to a wide public, Reportrama tackles major
scientific issues, using a simple and direct language
but always with the utmost discipline and with a penchant
for investigative journalism.http://www.svt.se/malmo/reporter/

SuperQuark
(Italy)

It was back in 1980 that
Piero Angela first had the idea of creating a major
science programme worthy of prime-time Italian TV. First
known as Quark, then SuperQuark, the
form has changed but the goal remains the same: to raise
the cultural level of the viewer by offering popular
science of the highest quality. The many experts who
contribute to the programme confirm its credentials.
From ethnology to astronomy, archaeology, electronics
and psychology included, SuperQuark casts its
net far and wide. From the somewhat austere set, and
never losing sight of the educational aspect, Angela
has succeeded in his ambitions and currently attracts
a weekly audience of 4 million, or 20% of the market.http://www.superquark.rai.it/

Viden
Om (DR – Denmark)

Every week on the Danish
public channel, Viden Om presents a series
of short documentaries of between two and ten minutes
in length, introduced by Anja Philip. It has covered
a wide range of subjects over the past three seasons,
including the human body and biology, technology, space
research, archaeology and palaeontology.http://www.dr.dk/videnom/